The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1930. WHAT MR. BALDWIN OFFERS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 54, 27 November 1930, Page 10

The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1930. WHAT MR. BALDWIN OFFERS

After the MacDonald Government’s failure to submit to the Imperial Conference propositions upon which could be constructed a policy for promoting the economic unity of the Empire, it is refreshing and encouraging to turn to the definite principles of action laid down by the Conservative leader' for achieving the same enc.. The overseas delegates came to London with great, expectations. They left the Conference with a sense of futility and disappointment. Had a Conservative Government been in power, a different story might have been told. ~ , , , < . Mr. Baldwin, in a statement published to-day, declares that the Conservatives would have negotiated freely with the overseas delegates, and submitted results to the country for a verdict by the electorate. He is prepared, he adds, to negotiate with the Dominions “on an unrestricted basis,” the scope of which would include the adoption of tariffs on foreign food, and any other .method of extending the principle of preference,” in a systematic effort to develop the trade of the Dominions. That is a courageous statement of policy. No one knows better than Mr. Baldwin that in the heat of election fighting issues such as these will be confused and misrepresented by his political opponents, that he will be accused of proposing to tax the food of the people. What in fact he really submits is a business-like proposition for reciprocal trade within the Empire. The Imperial, trade balance is to be regulated on the principle that the more the Dominions can sell to the Mother Country, the more the latter will be able to sell to them. . . As food supplies constitute the principal exports of the Dominions it is obvious that their sales to the Home markets will be correspondingly increased as those from foreign food exporting countries are reduced. In A speech last April, Mr. Baldwin put the position very simply: ‘•lt may be,” he said, “that in order to secure markets for their food products, the Dominions will be prepared to pay a price to us in our industrial regions. I don't know, but I believe - that will be so. If it should be that any substantial consideration should be offered to us for a consideration that would give preference to the foodstuffs from the Dominions and involve the taxation of foreign foodstuffs, then, whatever the details of such an arrangement might be, I would put those details to this country for a popular vote, ‘Aye’ or ‘No’.” Since that speech was delivered the march of events has stiffened Mr. Baldwin’s determination to obtain a clear mandate for a free hand on the question. At the Congress of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire it was very definitely stated that action of some kind for the safeguarding and encouragement of Imperial trade was. an urgent necessity.The Conservative leader was further strengthened in his resolve by his moral victory over the forces organised against him by the Beaverbrook-Rothermere “bloc,” and also by the famous “Bankers’ Manifesto,” which declared that urgent measures for the promotion of inter-imperial trade were needed to secure and extend the market for British products both at Home and through the export trade. . We believe,” declared the signatories, "that the Immediate step for securing and extending the market for British goods lies in reciprocal trade agreements between the nations constituting the Britisii Empire. As a condition of securing these agreements Great Britain must retain her open market for ail Empire products, while being prepared to Impose duties on all imports from all other countries.” Such a strong lead has justified the Conservative Party in dropping the referendum, and making the question a straight-out election issue. Mr' Baldwin has repeatedly asked the present Government for a statement of constructive policy in this connection, and has received no reply. He is, in fact, in the position of the Dominion delegates when they came to London and asked the same question. It is something to be assured that on a future occasion, under Conservative auspices, this question will not be asked in vain.